Microsoft Performs Mass Bans on Modified XBox 360 Consoles

Update: Microsoft's MajorNelson has now officially confirmed the bans.

This Halloween it appears Microsoft has pulled a TRICK with no TREAT on modified XBox 360 console owners... specifically, mass bans have been initiated against them.

IGN (linked above) have confirmed this news, to quote: "We have taken action against a small percentage of consoles that have been modified to play pirated game discs," a Microsoft spokesperson told IGN.

"In line with our commitment to combat piracy and support safer and more secure gameplay for the more than 20 million members of our Xbox LIVE community, we are suspending these modded consoles from Xbox LIVE."

Though Microsoft wouldn't confirm specifically when these bannings took place, a quick look over on its official forums suggest it's been going on over the course of this past week.

Plenty of users have created threads on the technical feedback forum reporting of having their Xbox 360 console banned.

"In line with our commitment to combat piracy and support safer and more secure gameplay for the more than 20 million members of our Xbox LIVE community, we are suspending these modded consoles from Xbox LIVE."

Utter rubbish. The same guys getting banned had to shell out money for live and playing a burnt disc does nothing to harm the safety and security of those not using burnt discs. It looks to me like they have no real argument for banning besides the fact you are doing something they don't like. Someone should sue!

not really. Thing is if you consider piracy, some folks actually can argue that they got more value out of their 360 than they would a ps3 (not hacked). Imagine buying 3 games would cost you 180$US (if they are new)-- most ppl wouldnt buy that many at all, but with piracy they buy 1 or 2 when they can and download so much more of the crap they would never consider buying

"We have taken action against a small percentage of consoles that have been modified to play pirated game discs," a Microsoft spokesperson told IGN. "In line with our commitment to combat piracy and support safer and more secure gameplay for the more than 20 million members of our Xbox LIVE community, we are suspending these modded consoles from Xbox LIVE."

From looking at the people that have been banned, they have very little in common. What I suspect is that M$ has been able to detect modified firmware for some time. My theory is that each year, they ban a random sampling of about 30% of the modded consoles. The complete randomness of it keeps pirates running through hoops trying to verify everything, not play before release dates, having the firmware do extensive checks that make new games not work, etc. when perhaps those things don't even matter.

The timing is around the holidays each year to inflate holiday numbers, and the banning itself is a move to show publishers that M$ is doing something about piracy. Why doesn't M$ just ban everyone then? The answer is that this cycle of partial bannings makes them a lot of money. I know of people who have 3+ 360s from getting hit with the ban waves.

If M$ banned everyone instantly, these people wouldn't keep buying new systems. Additionally, M$ makes a ton of money off the modders as even if they pirate every single disc based game. They will still buy Live Arcade games, DLC, and pay $50 a year for the Xbox Live service. If the modders knew for a fact that they would get banned, they wouldn't buy anything, but if uncertain, they take the risk.